Tran, Vela Named CSC Academic All-District Honorees

CHICAGO – Alex Tran and Diego Vela from the Roosevelt football team were both named Academic All-District honorees sponsored by College Sports Communicators, the organization announced Tuesday.

Tran is a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete recipient and caught 12 passes for 119 yards and two scores this season. Over the course of his three years with the Lakers, the junior receiver has 28 catches and five touchdowns while also rushing five times for 34 yards.

Vela caught his first career pass for the Lakers this season, a 12-yard touchdown against Judson on Oct. 28. The sophomore tight end's blocking abilities helped guide the way for Roosevelt's standout rushing attack that averaged nearly 150 yards per game in conference play.

The Academic All-America program is the longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports in all three NCAA divisions, the NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions. It was established in 1952 and the honorees are nominated by CSC members then All-American honors are voted on by the membership as well.

In order to be named to the Academic All-District teams, a student-athlete must not only hold at least a 3.5 grade point average, but also must have either appeared in 90 percent of a team's games or started 2/3 of a team's contests. The list of all-district honorees is then vetted by the CSC committee, who send out a ballot for All-American honors to the membership.